Softball . March 14, 2019

Carolina Hits The Road For Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. —– No. 16 South Carolina softball is set for a three-game series at No. 21 Arkansas in its second SEC series of the 2019 season. Two of the three games (Friday and Sunday) will air on SEC Network + while live stats will be available for all three games. First pitch on Friday is set for 7:00 PM ET before the series continues on Saturday at 2:00 PM ET. The series finale is set for 2:00 PM ET on Sunday.

Carolina will look to end a three-game losing streak in SEC and take the series against the Razorbacks for the second-straight year.

THE GAMECOCKS

Carolina comes into the 2019 season looking to build upon a 49-17 season in which the Gamecocks reached the program’s second ever super regional after winning the Columbia Regional.
The Gamecocks welcome five freshmen and transfer Katie Prebble to the program this season to bring the Gamecocks to 19 active members.
Head coach Beverly Smith has been keeping the local talent home recently, as the Gamecocks have five South Carolina natives on roster and two of the last three South Carolina Gator Players of the Year.
Carolina won’t be lacking arms this season with five available coming into the new season, leaving 14 fielders. Freshman Rachel Vaughan comes in as coach Smith’s first left-handed pitcher during her time at South Carolina.

THE UPCOMING WEEK

The Gamecocks closed out a six-game home stand this Wednesday with a double header against the Bryant Bulldogs. Carolina has faced Winthrop, No. 15 Kentucky and Bryant (twice) over the course of the last week and six home games. South Carolina faced Winthrop for the second time this season after posting a 15-1 victory in five innings in Charlotte on Feb. 24 as part of the Charlotte First Pitch Classic.
South Carolina opened up SEC play last weekend against No. 15 Kentucky Friday-Sunday as the Gamecocks dropped the series to the Wildcats. The Wildcats took two-of-three last season in Lexington, last season, as the Gamecocks were unable to take the season series for the first time since 2015 and the first time in Columbia since 2007 this year.
Carolina returns to SEC action this weekend for another tough test, this time against No. 14 Arkansas on the road. The Gamecocks won a hard-fought 2-1 series last season in Columbia over the quickly improving Arkansas program.
Last week marked the first time in three weeks South Carolina hadn’t had a player win an SEC Player of the Week honor. South Jana Johns and Cayla Drotar won back-to-back player of the year nominations as both received their first POTW recognitions.

HOW TO WATCH THE GAMECOCKS IN 2019

ESPN has shown some respect for the Gamecocks in the preseason, giving the program at least 30 games on the Family of Networks.
Carolina will have 21 home games broadcast as well nine road contests.
The Gamecocks first nationally televised game comes on March 24 against Ole Miss with a game on SEC Network.
South Carolina will have five games on SEC Network, two on ESPNU, two on ESPN2 and one on ESPN.

BETTER LOOK INTO BOESEL

Currently batting .403 (would be a career best if the season ended today) on 31 hits (14 of which have gone for extra-base hits) as she’s posted a .500 on-base percentage thanks in part to 15 free bases thus far through 25 games. If the season ended today, would have a career best in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. With just five strikeouts through 25 games, she is well under pace for the past two seasons on her way to a career low in that category.
In Charlotte on Feb. 24, became the 17th Gamecock in program history to bring home 100 or more RBI in a career in the 15-1 victory in five innings over Winthrop. Currently in her career she is tied for 12th in runs scored, tied for sixth in home runs, 14th in RBI, and 13th in hit by pitches. Is also standing strong with the second-base on-base percentage for a career in school history. (3/7)
Received plenty of attention at the start of the 2019 season, as she was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team and selected to the USA Softball Top-50 Watch List for Player of the Year.
Mackenzie Boesel couldn’t have asked for a much better sophomore year, as she became just the 10th Gamecock in program history to be named an Academic All-American as well as her selection to the All-SEC Second Team (her second All-SEC honor of her career).

BETTER LOOK INTO MAGUIRE

Kenzi Maguire is batting a career best .346 thus far through 25 games with a career best slugging percentage (.564) and on-base percentage (.469). Over the course of her career, Maguire is batting .308 in 148 games with 131 hits (35 of which have gone for extra bases) with a .417 on-base percentage.
Just nine doubles away from entering the top 15 for most doubles in a career as of 3/7. Notably became the school record holder for hit by pitches in a career on March 10 against Kentucky with No. 47 of her career.
In 2018, notably had an 11-game hitting streak and 23-game reached base streak, both of which were Carolina bests for the year.
Was named to the All-SEC Second Team, All-Region Second Team, SEC Player of the Week for the first time in her career (4/10) and had the SEC Defensive Play of the Year in the win over Mississippi State (4/28).

BETTER LOOK INTO CLARK

Senior Kennedy Clark brings plenty of experience to the outfield and plate for the Gamecocks after having started 193 games over her career, by far the most in the outfield right now for South Carolina’s group of overall young outfielders.
Was hitting .475 with 19 hits and 16 RBI during the team’s 15-game winning streak. Notably hit .529 with seven RBI in the five wins at the USF Tournament two weekends ago with a 1.000 slugging percentage. Overall on the season she’s hitting .420 with 29 hits and 20 RBI on her way to a career best in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Shined in the postseason last year with four hits in the Columbia Regional and a two-run home run to help the Gamecocks avoid a no-hitter in the first game of the ASU Super Regional.
Became the 18th Gamecock in program history with 100 or more RBI in a career in the win over Bryant on Wednesday.

GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

South Carolina is 132-310-1 (.293) against opponents ranked in the NFCA top 25 since 1995.
Broken down by site, the Gamecocks are 62-100 (.358) at home, 28-142 (.154) on the road and 43-67-1 (.407) in neutral-site outings.
Last season, the Gamecocks went 8-14 against ranked teams, including an 8-1 record in home games. The Gamecocks notably swept Tennessee and Mississippi State in home series against ranked teams last year. The Gamecocks also took two of three games against Arkansas, as well.
In road games, the Gamecocks notably won a road series at Ole Miss to star the SEC season and earned their first win over Texas A&M since 2015.